In The Telling

Props
4 chairs

Characters
Inventor
Narrator
4 Marching Men (MM1, 2, 3 & 4)

Set Up
Four chairs sit next to each (Dressed like toy soldiers)
other facing the audience
Inventor stands at one end of chairs

Sketch

Narrator: “Once upon a time there was an inventor who loved to create fantastic contraptions. Over his lifetime he had completed many unique inventions and had many patents to his name. As the crowning effort of his career he invented four Marching Men.â€

Marching Men come in from side of stage singing, “Oh we’re marching, marching, marching. Oh we’re marching, marching, marching. Etc...†and march in a circle around the chairs and the inventor. Each time a Marching Man passes the Inventor he yells out the number of times that he has went around the chairs.
Just before they get to the number six the inventor steps into their path and faces them. When the first man reaches the inventor he halts abruptly and yells, “SIX!†The man behind him runs into his back, yells, “SIX!†and stops. The other two do the same.

Inventor: (to MM1) “You’ve been working hard. Would you like to take a rest?â€

MM1: (Shouts) “I was made for marching and marching is what I shall do!†MM1 does a 45 degree soldier turn to face audience and then takes one stiff legged step forward.

Inventor: (to MM2) “You’ve been working hard. Would you like to take a rest?â€

MM2: (Shouts) “I was made for marching and marching is what I shall do!†MM2 does a 45 degree soldier turn to face audience and then takes one stiff legged step forward.

Inventor: (to MM3) “You’ve been working hard. Would you like to take a rest?â€

MM3: “Yes, actually I would.â€

Inventor: “Please take a seat.â€
MM3 sits in third chair.

Inventor: (to MM4) “You’ve been working hard. Would you like to take a rest?â€

MM4: (Looks a bit confused with the situation and then resolutely shouts) “I was made for marching and marching is what I shall do!†MM4 does a 45 degree soldier turn to face audience and then takes one stiff legged step forward.

The inventor goes around behind MM3 and begins rubbing his shoulders while the other three continue marching and singing. (They should take longer to make the lap than normal and yet seem to be marching harder - lift knees higher and take smaller steps) As they pass by MM3 the inventor prods him to join the group again. He jumps into his position between MM2 and MM4. As they get to the end of the lap they each yell “SEVEN!â€

The Marching Men keep marching but begin counting at “ONE!†again. The exact same scenario as above is done again until the “SEVEN!†is reached.

On the third ‘week’ as they are marching MM4 falls over dead on lap two, MM1 dies on lap three, MM2 dies just before completing lap five. MM3 continues marching until “SIX!†and then the inventor stops him.

Inventor: “You’ve been working hard. Would you like to take a rest?â€

MM3: “Yes, thank you†and sits in chair.

Inventor begins rubbing MM3’s shoulders. After a few seconds MM3 turns to Inventor and speaks.

MM3: “What happened to my friends?â€

Inventor: “They all ran out of stamina and their systems shut down.â€

MM3: “Why didn’t you make them rest?â€

Inventor: “I made all four of you to march. Rest was only a gift that I offered you. You were not required to take it, only to know that it was available. The freedom to choose was left to each of you.â€
MM3: “Well, if they died already, how long will I live?â€

Inventor: “At the rate your going, I reckon you’ll live forever.â€

Scene freezes for five seconds. All five actors leave stage together.

THE END

A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come
and pray with her father.
When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed
with his head propped up on two pillows.
An empty chair sat at his bedside.
The minister assumed that the old fellow had been
informed of his visit.
"I guess you were expecting me, he said.
'No, who are you?" said the father.
The minister told him his name
and then remarked,
"I saw the empty chair and I figured
you knew I was going to show up,"
"Oh yeah, the chair,"
said the bedridden man.
"Would you mind closing the door?"
Puzzled, the minister shut the door.
"I have never told anyone this,
not even my daughter," said the man.
"But all of my life I have never known how to pray.
At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer,
but it went right over my head."
I abandoned any attempt at prayer,"
the old man continued,
"until one day four years ago,
my best friend said to me,
"Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter
of having a conversation with Jesus.
Here is what I suggest."
"Sit down in a chair;
place an empty chair in front of you,
and in faith see Jesus on the chair.
It's not spooky because he promised,
'I will be with you always'.
"Then just speak to him in the same way
you're doing with me right now."
"So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it
a couple of hours every day.
I'm careful though
If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair,
she'd either have a nervous breakdown
or send me off to the funny farm."
The minister was deeply moved by the story
and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey.
Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil,
and returned to the church.
Two nights later the daughter called
to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon.
Did he die in peace?" he asked.
Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock,
he called me over to his bedside,
told me he loved me
and kissed me on the cheek.
When I got back from the store an hour later,
I found him dead.
But there was something strange about his death.
Apparently, just before Daddy died,
he leaned over and rested his head
on the chair beside the bed.
What do you make of that?"
The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said,
"I wish we could all go like that."

By David Edgren

Where our schools were once designed as a safe place for our kids, they are now, by necessity, being redesigned to mentor secular kids and evangelise them with the basic stories and teachings of the Bible. This restructuring has been necessary due to the huge influx of non-Christian kids that are enrolling and enjoying our Adventist schools. Why are secular people attracted to Christian schools? The parents are told clearly that their children will be taught Christian beliefs and values. And, to our amazement, the parents often inform us that our values and teaching are the very reason they are enrolling their children in our school! Why?

In discussion on Aug 23, 2005 the Board of Directors for the Tasmanian Conference of The Seventh-day Adventist Church a number of reasons were unearthed. Primarily, it is our values based lifestyle that is so attractive to parents. Secular schools can promote a values based system, but the foundation of their system is a society that is focused on punishment for crime rather than healthy moralistic living. As Christians, we come from the exact opposite position. We are values based because our God is Love and his values compel and empower us. This difference results in public schools that have very little ground to stand on in convincing kids to be good for goodness sake and Christian schools that, following the example of Christ, teach and model servant leadership and self-directed behaviour. It is as if we have a virus of goodness and purity with which the world wants to be infected. As Pastor Kevin Amos, President of the Tasmanian Conference, stated, “People want to catch what we’ve got!â€

In has been said that if you make a better mousetrap or preach a better sermon, the world will make a beaten path to your door. This is what is happening in our Schools. Our mousetrap is effective at catching the unkempt kids of today’s world and turning out passionate young people who pursue righteousness. Our sermon is one of being “other’s focused†and Christlike. It is a sermon that public schools cannot preach. And it is a very effective and life changing message!

What precisely is it that draws the world to our doorstep? According to Neil McGrath, Principle of Northwest Christian School in Penguin, Tasmania, the specific drawing cards are our values (such as respect and clean language), our lifestyle, our peace of mind, and our detail to the little things in regard to the character development of their children. In a nutshell McGrath said, “The parents are drawn to the differences between us and other schools. And the kids actually like to be disciplined.â€

It was this statement that got me fired up! A continuum of Christian experience formed itself on the paper in front of me. The word discipline is negative (at least every time I heard it as a kid I didn’t like it!). The word discipleship, on the other hand, is one of training, empowerment and Christian growth. Discipleship is a foreign concept to the world and is exclusively Christian to those who do understand it. The actual concepts of discipleship and discipline are parallel. They are the same process, but from different foundations. Secular society disciplines wayward kids, youth and adults through it’s various disciplinary systems. Christian organisations, however, disciple people toward their Christlike potential and purpose.

The shift in thinking that happens at the cross is radical. We move from being controlled from the outside – discipline – to being controlled from the inside – discipleship. Our compulsion to obey comes not from rules and regulations, but from the indwelling Spirit of God. We are drawn toward glorifying God through emulation and away from impressing our peers and leaders through obedience. Our nature becomes Christ-centred rather than self-centred, and our desire to obey comes from a passion to represent our God as accurately as possible rather than to identify ourselves as inherently good people deserving of praise.

So, back to school. Why does our Christian principled educational system draw secular people? Because we are representing Christ. What happens if we cease to represent Christ and begin to focus on our values based system? I would suggest very dangerous things would happen. If, on the other hand, we as Christian leaders and educators keep our connection to our Saviour strong through daily devotions and passionate prayer then our nature, as his representatives, will continue to draw all men to Jesus!

I wrote this article for The Edge magazine. I've been a columnist for the edge for over three years now. I love writing! Enjoy.

Ever wanted to be a Samson? Rippling muscles, long flowing hair, powerful persuasion tactics (killing a few thousand men with the jawbone of an ass is no small feat!)

Or perhaps being an Esther is more your style. Gorgeous, brave, picked in a line up by the most powerful man in the land. (Did you know she spent a year being bathed in oil, perfumes and cosmetics before the big day?)

Whatever the case, guess what? Samson had serious pride issues and Esther was afraid of rejection. Sure, they would have been on the cover of Sport’s Illustrated, Rolling Stone, and The Edge. But, all celebrities – no matter how great they look – have human hearts and frail spirits. Just like us.

Samson trusted his strength to make up for his character deficits. Don’t. It doesn’t work. Whenever he lost his temper he blew a gasket. Once he ripped a lion apart. Another time he tied foxes tails together and burned his enemies fields. There was also the time he ripped the city gates from the ground and carried them to the top of the nearest hill. Or the time he killed 30 men to steal their clothes in order to pay a debt he owed. You never read of Samson walking quietly into a café and ordering a Latte. He didn’t do ‘civilized.’ His pride led him to misery. Eyes gouged out, head shaved, pushing a mill wheel round and round and round. Why? Because he trusted his strength. He had muscles on his muscles, but his character was paper thin. And it was character in the end that really mattered. It always is.

You can’t put a photo of character on the front of a glamour magazine. You can’t write an article with 10 steps to the perfect character. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a decision. And another one. And another one. For years and years – as many as you live – every decision you make. When your beauty has faded, your character has just begun. Paul said, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.†(2 Corinthians 3:18)

There are a lot of things we think of when we ponder Heaven. Streets of gold. The tree of life, sea of glass, a river coming from the throne of God. Sitting at Jesus feet. But, of all that will be in Heaven, there is only one thing that you will have brought with you. The rest will already be there. That one thing is your character.

Every angle the media comes from leads us to the conclusion that looks are everything. But your character begins where skin deep ends. Do you want to be truly beautiful? Start with your heart. Do you want true strength? Develop a Christlike character. Look at Jesus. Every day. The more you do, the more you will become like Him. And when you get to Heaven, He’s going to give you a new body. But your character will continue from where you left off before his second coming! So, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.†(Hebrews 12:2) Let us explore His perfect character. We are, after all, made in His image.

Rocks in my Head!

By David Edgren

Foolishness to the world - I've got rocks in my head

1 Cor 1:20-25

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ²²Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

Do Christians have rocks in their heads?

To the world – it appears that way!

Illus: James (Video Store) - Do U get lots of schizophrenics becoming Christians?

- the deeper the sin, the greater to forgiveness

Romans 5:20 - The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.

- Christ draws those who struggle - his answers are amazing!

“You must really enjoy getting together with people of other faiths and sharing what you believe!?â€

Illus: “Circle of light†cooperative gathering for the sharing of common ideals.
- Asked to share, “What is unique about LOVE in your faith?â€
- Scorpion Story - even our God is Foolish - his nature is unchanging

Body of Christ - Jesus is Head - The ROCK is my Head

1 Cor 12::27 - We are all part of the body of Christ.

²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Eph 5:29,30 - Christ loves the church (his body)

²⁹After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰for we are members of his body.

When we claim Jesus as our Saviour he saves us. When we claim him as Lord we serve him. This means that he becomes our master, our leader, our example and the head of our body.

Eph 4:15-16 - become like Jesus, made fit by the head

¹⁴Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

The church is the body of Christ. Each of us is part of his body. We are each needed. It is important to remember though, that he is the head. We must take our commands from him. He is the control centre of the church. The more we listen to his will the more accurate and effective we become at serving him.

Everything is learned by repetition. Only in training our bodies to obey our head can we grow, mature and develop skills. Synapses in the brain take training. Repeated enough they become reflex. Every athlete practices until the actions become 2^nd nature – reflex. The unnatural becomes natural!

Illus: firing a gun – Hyampom, waving the gun in Tim’s face.

Using a gun effectively takes hand, eye, posture, brain for correction. Even your index finger is important! very! And it even takes training in etiquette! If we are not in constant connection with the Head – Christ – we loose our ability to serve Him effectively.

Col 2:18-19

¹⁸Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. ¹⁹He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Without the head the body is in real trouble. It is interesting in nature to see this acted out. It may seem a bit odd and even disgusting, but let’s explore the nature of the body without the head attached…

Illus: Types of death - like cutting an animals head off - different responses

1. Rattle snake - body thrashes, head keeps biting! (Satan)
2. Lamb – Doesn’t flinch or make a noise - willing (Jesus)
3. Chicken - Head dies, body goes crazy! (church)

It is very important that we remain connected to Christ. We don’t want to be a headless body of any sort! How can we be sure that the Rock – Jesus – is truly the head of our body? How can you know that you are fully connected to him?

Rom 12:4-5 - we need each other! We are each gifted in unique ways.

³For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. ⁴Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. ⁷If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; ⁸if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

When we are working together for a common purpose – to bring the lost to Christ – then we know that we are part of the body. When Christ’s purpose overwhelms our own desire we know we are connected to the Christ – the HEAD! When we value every other church member as of equal value – even more honourable – than ourself we are truly becoming an integrated part of the body of Christ. Forgetting ourselves for the glory of God! This is true Christianity!

Always on my mind & in my heart - The Rocks in my Head!

2 cor 5:20 - ambassadors for Christ to World

²⁰We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

Matt 7:24-27 - those who hear & follow are wise

²⁴"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Matt 28:18-20 - Mission statement!

¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Acts 1:8 - go Jerusalem, Judah, Samaria & the Ends of the Earth!

⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Progression - home first then out in steps

Conclusion:
Your story is your weapon against the Devil! Tell your story – How you met Jesus and how He saved you – tell it well and tell it often. And when you find someone who believes then lead them to Jesus! Even if it’s only one person a year – there is HUGE potential!

Multiplication vs addition
yr 1 - 1 Christian (A) leads 1 person (B) to Christ
yr 2 - A disciples B, A & B each lead 1 person to Christ
yr 3 - A&B disciple C&D, A-D lead 1 person to Christ
yr 4 - A-D disciple 4, A-H lead 1 person to Christ
yr 5 - 8 disciple 8, 16 lead 16 to Christ
yr 6 - 16disciple 16, 32 lead 32 to Christ
yr 7 - 32d32, 64l64 (Rosny in 6 yrs! From 1 person!!)
yr 25 - 33 million Christians!!!

Illustration: Saving Hamsters

When I was in Year 7 I decided to raise a little money. I bought two hamsters. A boy hamster. And a girl hamster. When they were old enough the girl hamster had babies. I had talked to the local pet store and they had assured me that they would buy the babies from me once they had hair.

The morning after the first litter of hairless baby hamsters were born I carefully added food to the dish and water to the bottle on the side of the cage. As I was leaving my room to head off to school I realized that it was quite cold on my desk in the corner where the aquarium with the little family in it was resting. So, I quickly picked up their home and moved it over to the window where the morning sun could warm the babies and parents.

When I returned from school I was heart broken to find that the sun had mercilessly cooked all of the babies. The mum and dad were fine. But the heat had been too much for the fragile newborns. They were all dead. All seven of them. I felt horrible. It was my fault. If only I would have left them on the desk. If only. I knew they needed sun. But they also needed protection from the sun.

When the next litter was born I devised a plan. I arranged the aquarium so that only half of it would get sun. Then they could get some sun, but still have the freedom to move away from the sun. But the little babies didn’t get the point. They didn’t see the grand plan and they just sat there in the sun. And cooked.

So, with litter three I added a new phase to my plan. I went to the fridge and got a small piece of cheese. Then I went to the spice rack and got the black pepper, some coriander and a pinch of salt. It was perfect. I went and arranged myself so that I was leaning over their aquarium. And then I ate the cheese. It worked. Slowly… But it worked. The mixture was perfect and I began to shrink. Soon I was only the size of one of the parent hamsters and I was sitting on the edge of the aquarium swinging my legs. I dropped into the aquarium, making sure not to land on any of the third litter. I curled into a ball and the final phase of my incarnation medication kicked in. I grew fur, four little pink feet and a really cute wiggly nose. I was a hamster! Yes! But I still had all my human super smarts. I had a plan and it was in full swing.

I went to the little baby pinkies and said, “Hey guys, spend a bit of time in the sun and then move over into the shady side. Don’t get cooked like those who have gone before you.†They just stared back at me – with closed eyes and wiggling noses. I tried again, “The sun is hot! The sun – that big round thing out the window – it gets real hot. It’ll warm you up. But, then you’ve got to move! Ok?†They squeeked in my general direction. Had they understood? I couldn’t tell.

By this time their parents had come to check out the new hamster that had dropped from above. They waddled up to me and nuzzled me for a bit. Suddenly I had a thought, These are the parents! The guardians of the little ones. I’ll tell them! So, I did. They didn’t seem impressed. Their response baffled me. They said, “Nope. That’s not why the babies die. They just die. The have all died. Death is inevitable. Nothing we can do about it. And we reckon, why not die warm. So, we put them in the sun while they die.†I was dumbfounded. I tried to correct their misconceptions. It’s the sun that’s killing them! They didn’t like my ideas. Who was I to correct them anyhow?

I went and began picking the babies up in my little bucktoothed mouth and carrying them to the cool corner. The parents began squeaking uncontrollably. After I dropped a baby in the shade and headed back to pick up the next one, the mother would grab the one I’d just dropped and move it back into the sun. It was useless, but I kept trying. And trying. And they kept ruining every attempt I made.

Then I had another idea. I began furiously pulling out all of my hair. The two adult hamsters stopped scurrying and watched me in fascinated horror. I ripped out every bit of hair that I could reach with my teeth. Then I explained, “You are adults. You have hair. Your hair protects you from the sun. Watch.†Then I went over and laid down in the sunny corner. On top of the babies. Protecting them from the sun that was bearing down on us. I began to get hot. Very hot. My breath started to speed up. My back stung where the sun seared my hairless skin. My breath became like breathing fire. Finally it was too much and my little hamster body died. The parents saw me stop breathing. They approached carefully and sniffed. I was dead. They pushed their noses against me and rolled me off of their little ones. Then they buried me with the sawdust that covered the floor of their home.

Moments later my dead body began to pulse. It began to swell. Life returned to me. But I was stretching out of my hamster shape. I was back to the shape of a boy. As I grew tall enough I grabbed the side of the aquarium and climbed over onto the desk. I continued to grow until I was back to my normal size. I hopped off the desk and knelt down to look through the glass. What effect had my example had. Had my death accomplished anything? I watched in overwhelmed happiness as the father and mother hamster gently picked up their babies and moved them into the shade. It had worked. My death had given life to my little creatures. And my example had changed the worldview of two little furry parents.

When did you stop believing my story? How much of it was true? I did raise hamsters when I was in year 7. I did cook a cage full of them in my window. But, I had to solve the problem in a different way. Every day I had to move the aquarium into the sun for an hour and then back to the shade. The parents didn’t understand. And I wasn’t able to become one of them to teach them, to die for them, to show them how much I loved them.

But Jesus did. He had that power. He became one of us. He, the God of the universe – our Creator – took on our broken form and allowed himself to be crucified so that we could live. This is foolishness. Foolishness to the world. But it is life to us who are being saved.

I would rather be a fool for Christ – praising his name, exposing my faith and inviting the world to him. I would rather be a fool for Christ, than the wisest man on this fireball waiting to happen. I choose life. I choose Jesus. What about you? Will you be a fool for Christ? Your story will be unbelievable. And people will tell you so. They will call you a fool and your story a pack of fairytales and lies. But, the more you tell it and the more the Holy Spirit works on the hearts of your listeners the more fruit you will see. People will come to Jesus. They will come out of the fiery future that awaits them without Christ and they will live. If…. If… If you are willing to be a fool for Christ.

Based on Discovering the Real Jesus by Bill Bright
Part 3: How Do I Respond to Jesus?

Illustration: The Car of Life.

Imagine that you are in a car travelling at extremely high speed. You look out the window and see things going by in a blur. The only thing that is clearly visible are the other cars travelling along side you. As you study these cars you realise something to your astonishment. You are not on a road. You are falling. Free falling. So, being an intelligent human being you whip out your calculator and jump into the back seat where you keep your trusty whiteboard and you begin doing some serious thinking.

Use whiteboard and explain Terminal Velocity.

So, now you understand your situation. You understand it very well, in fact. You have terms and definitions for every aspect of your situation. But you still have one VERY LARGE problem… You are falling, at Terminal Velocity, towards a sudden stop which is certain to end in death. In fact, you’ve got it on good authority that death is unavoidable. “The wages of sin is death.†You are falling. Falling. Falling. What will you do? You have two choices. 1. Recognise your fate and begin panicking – allow depression to overwhelm you and morosely await your demise. Or… Option 2. Ignore your fate – Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. These are the two reactions to a live of meaninglessness and certain death. We see these two reactions in every person in the world who hasn’t heard of option number 3. Some people are sick, lonely, angry and depressed about life. Other are extreme, crazy, party hard, laugh it off, love is lust and risk death at every turn because life’s inevitable conclusion is death and why not go out in a blaze of glory?

But we know option 3. “The wages of sin is death… BUT… the gift of God is eternal life.â€

Without Jesus the car is catapulting towards Hell

No road. Just free fall. I can seem like a lot of fun. Free falling is. But the sudden stop at the bottom

will kill you!

With Jesus the car is put on the road – on the straight and narrow.

Jesus is the road

He is the way, the truth, the life. With him you’re on track. Without him – you are lost.

The Holy Spirit is the navigator (Rally car racing – right 3, left 5)

What happens if you are not listening?

The Bible – Road Map – Imagine if you never read it! “It’s alright, I’m on the road!†(the road to where?)

There are a few things that are required for life on the road that are not required for life in free fall.

A working engine – a broken down car won’t go – You need to be a healthy, balanced, well tuned person.

Petrol – Put water in your petrol tank. Petrol prices are high. Just put water in your tank. Why not?

You need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. With God’s power and leading. Not mans ideas!

A law abiding driver – doing it your own way will get you killed & possibly someone else

Ill: Teenage driver in Germany – hit Aussie team – killed one, injured 5

“Australia's next generation of women road racers has suffered a terrible blow after six members of the team were stuck by a car while training in Germany. Amy Gillett was killed while team mates Louise Yaxley and Alexis Rhodes were seriously injured when an 18-year-old learner driver veered across the road and struck the riders on Monday.â€

Something as simple as crossing the middle line – can end life. – Such a little rule – such horrible consequences when it’s broken!

Why is the Law important? Because it saves lives! It get’s you to your destination safely. The Law protects us. That is why the Bible can say that the Law gives freedom. It set’s you free from death and destruction!

Moral Relativism: This is the worldview that our society is currently subscribing too. It’s basic premise is that your reality defines your morals. Therefore each of us has different morals, different laws of life, different rights and wrongs – because each of us has a unique life experience. There is no absolute truth. Even to suggest such a thing is seen as self-righteous, arrogant and naive. It takes a generation or two to see the results of worldviews – what kind of person does it create? We are now discovering a generation of directionless, disenchanted, insatiable adrenaline junkies at one extreme, or dissatisfied, unmotivated depressed self-help addicts at the other extreme. And one thing is clear – Moral Relativism doesn’t work. We are all made to a common pattern and a common instruction manual brings us together and gives us hope as a people.

We have God’s Word. God’s Law. God’s way. And it has been demonstrated for generation upon generation that following God’s will brings us peace, joy, a purpose and an eternal reality. God has written for us a pattern that, if followed, will not fail to give us a hope and a future!

James 1:22-25

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

What is this Mirror we are to look into? God created us in His image. Therefore, if we look at God we should see an example of what we should look like. Moses once asked God to reveal himself – Show his glory – and God did. He wrote down his perfect law on stone. This law was a transcript of God’s character. So, if we look into the Law of God and reflect it in our lives – we will be representing the image of God! We are going to look into the mirror now. Remember what James said, “Anyone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like… is like a man who sees God’s law and doesn’t do what it says.†Let’s have a look at God’s perfect law – his 10 Commandments. The transcript of our God’s character…

The Ten Commandments are declared in Exodus 20. They were delivered directly by God nearly 3,500 years ago...

"And God spoke all these words, saying: 'I am the LORD your God…

ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.'
TWO: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'
THREE: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'
FOUR: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'
FIVE: 'Honor your father and your mother.'
SIX: 'You shall not murder.'
SEVEN: 'You shall not commit adultery.'
EIGHT: 'You shall not steal.'
NINE: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'
TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor.'

What happens when we know God’s law and yet we ignore it? Can we drive our car on the straight and narrow without the Law? We’ve met Jesus, we’ve experienced his grace, we know about the cross, but we choose to ignore His recommendations and requirements… What happens to us? Will we stay on the road?

The answer is in Romans Chapter 1. It’s a long passage, but it is necessary that we read it so that we get the big picture! Let’s read Romans 1:21-32

²¹For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²²Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools ²³and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

²⁴Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. ²⁵They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

²⁶Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

²⁸Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; ³¹they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³²Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

The natural reaction to rejecting God’s law is that we get sucked into the law of this world again. The law of grace and love is overwhelmed by the law of Self and Lust. And we are side tracked. We are pulled off the road. Our car swerves and we begin plummeting into chaos. There is only one way to stay on the road. Only one way to ensure that we are Heaven-bound track.

Romans 12:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

The ONLY way to persevere, the only way to stay on track, is to “Fix your eyes on Jesus!†He started your faith and he will finish it. Our only job is to stay focused. Stay focused on Him and let him do his work in us. Sin is a struggle. You will have temptations. Satan will try to have his way with you. Many of Satan’s attacks will look like God has forgotten you. But, Paul continues this passage in Romans with a powerful challenge. He says, “Don’t see these tough times as random mishaps. See them as God providing you with growth opportunities!†How will you deal with the tough times? How will you deal with the temptations? Paul suggests, “Take it as an opportunity to grow! Say, ‘thank you Jesus for this chance to understand you and your suffering better! Take me through this!’ Grow through it. See it as God refining you!â€

Romans 12:4-13

⁴In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
⁶because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son

⁷Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? ⁸If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. ⁹Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! ¹⁰Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. ¹¹No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

¹²Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ¹³"Make level paths for your feet so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Sounds like heresy, doesn’t it? God punishing us? God shaping us with hard times? God disciplining us? There is something interesting and overwhelming that happens when you become a child of God. He begins to do a good work in you. And sometimes that GOOD contradicts the BAD that clings so forcefully to your character – to your attitude – to your language – to your desires – to your heart. And when you enter God’s presence his holiness encounters your sinfulness. Isaiah was a prophet – a man of God. And when he saw God in vision God sent an angel with a burning hot coal from the altar and purified Isaiah’s lips – God burned Isaiah’s mouth! Why? From the words of Isaiah himself comes the answer, “I am a man of unclean lips.†God disciplined Isaiah for his unholy talk. And Isaiah “endured hardship as discipline.†Then God showed Isaiah his glory! Isaiah knew God had only the best in mind for him. God wanted Isaiah 100% and Isaiah wanted that too. The healing ember was God’s gift to Isaiah. Christ was the sacrifice on that altar. And Isaiah was forgiven for his sin. But, experiencing the sacrifice personally caused pain. And growth.

What is my point? What am I saying? What I’m saying is this – In all that happens to you, in all joys, in all struggles, in all pleasure and in all pain you can choose your response. Your response is your free will. No one can make you be bitter. That’s you – choosing to be bitter. No one can make you rejoice. That’s you – choosing to rejoice. Jesus died. That was his choice. No one made him do it. He himself said, “Do you not know that I could call 10,000 legions of angels to my defense?†Jesus “who for the joy set before him endured the cross†… Jesus – chose joy. He knew the joy awaiting him after the pain. And he focused on the joy. That’s how he was able to focus, in his dying moments, on his mother, on his accusers, on his nextdoor neighbor on the cross. Jesus, “who for the joy set before him endured the crossâ€. He calls you. He calls you to respond to what he did for you that day. What he did for you eternally. He offers his joy. And asks that you have his attitude – His attitude – until the day that joy arrives in the clouds of glory.

Paul puts it this way in Philippians 2

¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
⁶Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
⁷but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

¹²Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

¹⁴Do everything without complaining or arguing, ¹⁵so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe ¹⁶as you hold out the word of life.

If the God of the universe could humble himself so drastically to serve us, what act of service is beneath us? Is there anything – anything at all – that a true Christ-follower will not do in service to others?

What is your response? What is your response to Jesus?

Will you make the pilgrimage to Jesus? For thousands of years faithful followers of many faiths have made pilgrimages to holy places. The Isrealites came yearly to the day of atonement in Jerusalem. The devour Muslim longs to journey to Mecca. In the history of the Christian church our fathers-mothers-brothers and sisters in faith have journeyed to shrines all over Europe – shrines that were reputed to have healing properties – a nail from the cross of Christ, A shard from his tomb, the shroud he was wrapped in, a few hairs from the virgin mary’s head, a splinter from the cross. People would travel hundreds of miles by foot to have the power of God in their lives. Some made the journey to Rome and paid the price to remove a loved one from pergatory and then did the penance required – an “our father on each step†until you reach the door of the Vatican. Then your loved one shall be ensured passage to Heaven. Until the day that Martin Luther made the pilgrimage to Rome. And he realised that this was not the Gospel. Luther spent the rest of his life trying to convince people (and doing a fairly impressive job of it!) that God was available not in a certain place or through a certain ritual – but through the blood of Christ, now, right now, where you are. And it doesn’t cost a gold florin, it doesn’t require penance. It’s free. Jesus paid the price. You are free.

Jesus once encountered a young woman who was caught up in a payment and penance worldview. She expected to get what she deserved. She lay at his feet expecting the first stone at any moment. Jesus knelt down, took her head in his hands, looked into her eyes and said, “I do not condemn you. Now, go. Go and sin no more.â€

And she, Mary Magdalene – forgiven much, loved much. She followed him until His dying day… and beyond. She chose to live God’s way because God’s love had changed her. She was blood bought. And there was no going back. She belonged to Jesus. With her whole heart!

You too, if you have fallen at his feet, have been forgiven much.

What is your response? What is your response to Jesus?